The Schubert Center for Child Studies will host Michelle Martin, the Augusta Baker Chair and professor in childhood literacy at the University of South Carolina, for a lecture, titled 鈥淏rown Gold: African-American Children鈥檚 Literature as a Genre of Resistance.鈥�
Martin will present her talk Thursday, Feb. 18, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in Tinkham Veale University Center, ballroom A.
In 1969, Langston Hughes鈥� Black Misery, a children鈥檚 book that speaks candidly about the discrimination and misfortunes that African-American children face daily, was published posthumously. Considered the 鈥渇athers鈥� of contemporary African-American children鈥檚 literature, Hughes and Arna Bontemps wrote not just for black children, but for all children, and set a precedent of resistance within the genre.
Martin will trace the tradition of resistance in African-American children鈥檚 literature, beginning with early publications such as the Brownies鈥� Book Magazine up through several recent works of African-American children鈥檚 and young adult literature. Implications for teaching and creating opportunities for building literacy in childhood and adolescence will be discussed.